Low Salt

howardheilweil

Hi All, I’m a long time MFP user, more active at times. I need to be on a Los salt (sodium) diet, like 1500 mg/daily or less. Any pointers are appreciated. Best low sodium seasonings? Thanks in advance!

JudyValentine3

First things first, don't add salt to anything. But I guess you knew that. I found a delicious mix of lemon pepper at a farmer's market. It is great on fish and/or chicken. I usually use separate spices when I cook(which isn't that often). Also, a great chinese spices mix. It does had some salt, but you only need a pinch to enhance you stir fries. I hope this helps.

yirara

a bit of lemon juice or barberries are great for enhancing the flavour of tomato-based dishes, regardless of pastas, stews or curries. Try to cook your food yourself as lots of ready-made stuff (and especially restaurants) add tons of salt. Also check the nutritional labels of bread, stuff you put on, and all sorts of sauces or condiments. To spice up soups or stews I sometimes use garam masala or berbere, for simpler tastes just some dried chilli flakes. See where most of your salt ends up and consider what your favourite meal of the day is. If it's dinner try to reduce salt in other dishes and add some to dinner as salt enhances flavour.

John772016

Read labels! Use less pre-made food. Most spice mixes have way too much salt, make sure to buy only the no-salt ones if you use. I find commercial chinese spice mixes are a no-go for me unless I make it myself, their first ingredient is usually salt then they add other sodium laden ingredients.
Vinegars are you friend, can often add flavour with no sodium.

MargaretYakoda

Our house has been trying to be low sodium for a decade due to my husband’s health.

As advised definitely read labels. Canned goods and microwave meals can be astonishingly high in sodium.
Always go for the low sodium soups and broths.
Cook from scratch as much as possible.
Avoid fast food if you can.

Stick with it. Eventually your taste buds will adjust.
We used to adore Taco Bell, for example, and now it all tastes like chewing on a salt lick.

asmokegars1

I started on a low sodium (less than 1,000mg a day) and also low saturated fat focusing on whole foods. I had lost 50 lbs but have plateaued. I have lost another 9 lbs on the new program. I have stopped taking furosemide for swelling in the feet and legs. Very happy with the results! Feel free to add me if you want to see my diary. Still have a ways to go but am very optimistic.

AnnPT77

Someone mentioned vinegars, which I agree can be great, even some infused/flavored ones. But still read labels: Some have salt/sodium, occasionally quite a lot.

MargaretYakoda

If you’re consuming diet sodas, pay attention to them too. Some have a lot more sodium than others
If you drink a lot of diet sodas you might want to consider switching to flavored fizzy water instead.

neanderthin

Well the science shows that both too high and too low can be problematic and of course there's the importance of other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium when we're talking sodium, so it seems to me that while salt can impact blood pressure and heart health, the effect varies among individuals, and other dietary factors also play a crucial role. It's a convenient villain and an escape goat for most PCP who really don't practice functional medicine at all and submit to the role of conventional reductionist medicine, not good imo. Anyway, real whole foods have most of the vitamins and minerals for good health and you get to make the sodium decisions and you become the functional medicine provider to yourself, a win win. imo

Hobartlemagne

MSG. 1/3 the sodium of salt. Some people have a true allergy, but it's really fine for most of us.
All of the prejudices we've been taught came from sources that were never fact-checked.

nossmf

When my doctor told me to reduce sodium, he gave two pieces of advice I still live by 20+ years later:

1) Eliminate freezer meals completely, as they are almost always extremely high in salt for preservation, and

2) When cooking food, do not add salt while still cooking, it just gets absorbed into the food, you don't taste it, and add more salt at the table. Instead, add half the salt seconds before serving, it'll still be there on the surface and you won't need to add any more.

MargaretYakoda

I agree that freezer meals are frequently very high sodium. Canned food also can knock my socks off when I read the labels. Even some labeled “low sodium” can be relatively high.
And yowza yikes my husband’s old favorite of prepackaged instant ramen noodles is almost always more than an entire day’s ration of sodium in one bowl.

That said…. It is possible to find alternatives.

Read labels. Plan your meals as much as possible.

Here’s one replacement I found for instant ramen that satisfies my husband.

Star Anise Foods brand Happy Pho
They have 3 varieties. Mushroom, garlic Goddess, and zesty ginger.
Each box has 2 servings.
Gluten free. Low calorie and low sodium. 51 carbs puts it outside a keto diet but otherwise it’s really good.
Add in some shredded carrots, or surimi, or green onions, or whatever you like.

Cooks up in 5 minutes with just a couple cups of boiling water.

kshama2001

Cooking food from scratch will go a long way to help you meet your goals and likely taste better than low-salt convenience/packaged foods.

As mentioned above, use spices, herbs, and acids (vinegar/lemon juice).

kshama2001

neanderthin wrote: »

Well the science shows that both too high and too low can be problematic and of course there's the importance of other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium when we're talking sodium, so it seems to me that while salt can impact blood pressure and heart health, the effect varies among individuals, and other dietary factors also play a crucial role. It's a convenient villain and an escape goat for most PCP who really don't practice functional medicine at all and submit to the role of conventional reductionist medicine, not good imo. Anyway, real whole foods have most of the vitamins and minerals for good health and you get to make the sodium decisions and you become the functional medicine provider to yourself, a win win. imo

Yes, if I were told to eat low sodium I'd definitely get a second or third opinion.

I do mostly cook from scratch already though, so don't recommend skipping that step.

MargaretYakoda

kshama2001 wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

Well the science shows that both too high and too low can be problematic and of course there's the importance of other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium when we're talking sodium, so it seems to me that while salt can impact blood pressure and heart health, the effect varies among individuals, and other dietary factors also play a crucial role. It's a convenient villain and an escape goat for most PCP who really don't practice functional medicine at all and submit to the role of conventional reductionist medicine, not good imo. Anyway, real whole foods have most of the vitamins and minerals for good health and you get to make the sodium decisions and you become the functional medicine provider to yourself, a win win. imo

Yes, if I were told to eat low sodium I'd definitely get a second or third opinion.

I do mostly cook from scratch already though, so don't recommend skipping that step.

If you’re advised to restrict your sodium intake below 1500, it’s very likely because you’re already seeing either a cardiologist, a nephrologist, or an ENT. If a GP suggests to limit sodium levels they’re probably meaning to keep it to a reasonable level like 2500 mg/day, which is, imo, pretty reasonable advice for most people. POTs folks of course not included.

kshama2001

MargaretYakoda wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

Well the science shows that both too high and too low can be problematic and of course there's the importance of other minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium when we're talking sodium, so it seems to me that while salt can impact blood pressure and heart health, the effect varies among individuals, and other dietary factors also play a crucial role. It's a convenient villain and an escape goat for most PCP who really don't practice functional medicine at all and submit to the role of conventional reductionist medicine, not good imo. Anyway, real whole foods have most of the vitamins and minerals for good health and you get to make the sodium decisions and you become the functional medicine provider to yourself, a win win. imo

Yes, if I were told to eat low sodium I'd definitely get a second or third opinion.

I do mostly cook from scratch already though, so don't recommend skipping that step.

If you’re advised to restrict your sodium intake below 1500, it’s very likely because you’re already seeing either a cardiologist, a nephrologist, or an ENT. If a GP suggests to limit sodium levels they’re probably meaning to keep it to a reasonable level like 2500 mg/day, which is, imo, pretty reasonable advice for most people. POTs folks of course not included.

Yes, it would be helpful if OP like this included more background, including who did the advising.

I trusted iron dose recommendations from my hematologist, but before I had him, my GP's recommendation sent me to Urgent Care with the worse pain I've ever had in my life.